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Russia denies visas to MEPs

Russia denies visas to MEPs from Greens/EFA group to attend Moscow conference on EU-Russia relations

Protesting against the refusal of the Russian government to issue visas for entry to Russia to MEPs and Greens/EFA group staff, Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Monica Frassoni, Co-Presidents of the Greens/EFA group today said:

“The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament have long been planning and preparing a conference on EU-Russia relations and the current situation in Russia from 28 to 31 October in Moscow.

With incredulity we have now learnt that the Russian government is refusing to issue visas for MEPs and staff of the Greens/EFA group to enter the country. This is a further worrying sign that the country is closing in on itself and that an open and democratic debate on key issues is no longer welcome in Russia. This impression is reinforced by the simultaneous refusal of the Russian government to let representatives of the Sub-Committee for Human Rights of the European Parliament enter the country.

In these circumstances, the Greens/EFA group is forced to cancel our conference in Moscow. We protest in the strongest possible terms against the decision by the Russian government, which flies in the face of good neighbourly relations and co-operation between Russia and the EU. The Greens/EFA MEPs will bring up the issue during the plenary debate on the occasion of the EU-Russia summit on 26 October.”

Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group
in the European Parliament
Helmut Weixler
Head of Press Office
phone: 0032-2-284.4683
fax: 0032-2-284.4944
mobile phone: 0032-475-67 13 40
e-mail: hweixler@europarl.eu.int
website: www.greens-efa.org.